Program Information:
On our Summer in Ecuador program, you’ll live 9,000 feet above sea level in the amazing city of Quito. Its historic downtown, full of cobblestone streets and colorful buildings, will captivate you all summer long. You’ll study at the leading private university in the country, the Universidad San Francisco de Quito, and be based at its well-equipped U.S.-style campus. Quito will also be your classroom as you practice newfound language skills in everyday settings. CISabroad’s program includes incredible, unique excursions that will complement your coursework. You’re sure to create memories to last a lifetime while traveling throughout Ecuador’s ethnically, culturally, and naturally diverse landscapes.

You will experience:

One of the most diverse countries in the world, from the wilds of the Amazon to the majestic Andes to the Pacific beaches

Nine U.S. credits in nine weeks

Quito's UNESCO World Heritage listed colonial center

Salsa lessons so you can impress on the dance floor

The thrilling Teleférico, a cable car with a view of Quito from atop a volcano

Location:
From lively indigenous festivals to lovely outdoor cafés in tranquil parks, Quito is a city of wonderful contrasts. It has a mixed history of ancient empires and colonialism. This history is visible in the ruins that dot the landscape and in the incredible Spanish-style churches and leafy plazas. UNESCO named the entire downtown a World Heritage site. They described Quito as having “the best-preserved, least-altered historic center in Latin America.”

Quito comprises several distinct neighborhoods. You'll love the historic downtown with its colorful buildings, cobblestone streets, and street vendors selling everything you can possibly imagine. Equally fun is the Mariscal Sucre, the heart of the traveler scene in Quito. It’s rife with international restaurants, travel agencies, and hostels, and has a very lively dance scene. In other neighborhoods, you can visit an incredible museum that pays tribute to Oswaldo Guayasamin (Quito’s favorite artist), independent cinemas, and bohemian enclaves. If music is your passion, you can tap your feet to live traditional Andean tunes, pulsating salsa, and cumbia. Lastly, you can get lost for hours in the local parks and craft markets set amidst colonial grandeur. Most importantly, it’s all easily accessible by bus, taxi, or foot.

Volcanoes and the impressive Andes mountains surround Quito. Every day, you'll glimpse stunning views of the Pichincha Valley and the snow-capped peaks of Cotopaxi, an active volcano. At the same time, you can access other amazing opportunities for exploration from the highest capital in the world. Ecuador is packed with adventure and amazing biodiversity, from the Amazonian jungle to crater lakes to the Galapagos Islands. Getting to these locations is easy and quick. Furthermore, you can be on the beach in the morning, Quito in the afternoon, and the Amazon jungle at night, all in the same day!